The fire element strengthens the naturally fiery dragon. They breathe power and ambition, and are unsurprisingly the most competitive of all dragons. They have intense energy and place high expectations in all areas of their life: love, career, self-development etc.

As self-cultivated perfectionists, they become an unstoppable force due to their high intelligence. They have the midas touch and will succeed in whatever they do. If they choose to be, they have the potential to become great leaders. This is especially so if they are able to subdue their temper and energy-exhausting pace. Others may mistake their overzealous and powerful approach towards leadership to be dictator-like! The fire dragon demands as much from others as he demands from himself. Their emotions have a tendency to control their actions, and at times they may react recklessly causing them to accumulate plenty to regret.

However, although they may shoot fire at others, they in actual fact place great care towards others’ well-being. They will be the first to donate towards a charitable cause and the first to uncover the truth on behalf of the wrongly accused.

With their vibrant charisma and larger-than-life personality, fire dragons have a natural tendency to become celebrities.

Earth Sheep

The earth sheep is extremely honest but can be brutally blunt at times. However, although she is good at dishing out her opinion of others, she is not very receptive to feedback and can become very defensive when criticized.

Nevertheless, she tends to look at the bright side of things. She is loyal to her friends and family and is willing to make sacrifices for them. She is someone you can definitely call upon if you are in trouble or need help, and can be sure of a lifelong loyalty.

The earth sheep is industrious and works well under pressure. She is a responsible worker and seldom encounters difficulties in her career. She is also more independent, able to hold her own ground and not likely to be as easily influenced as other sheep.

The earth element in her makes her more conservative and cautious than other sheep where money is concerned. Although still indulgent in nature, she is more controlled in her spending.

Metal Tiger

Be prepared to steer clear of the metal tiger once she’s got her mind set on something. This very independent character isn’t likely to listen to what you have to say and will charge headfirst into her passions and goals. She is highly competitive and very confident (perhaps too much) and can tend to overstretch her expectations, becoming easily impatient if they aren’t fulfilled as she wants them to be. That said, they can also be very hard workers who are able to maintain a high level of energy to get the job done… so long as and only if it’s something they believe in.

The metal element also makes her quite inflexible—once she’s set her mind on something, it’ll be a challenge to get her to think otherwise or accept another point of view. She might also be prone to acting impulsively and unconventionally—she’ll need to be careful she doesn’t also offend people along the way.

She has a great deal of ambition, but quite unlike the other tigers, this one is focused more on her own interests and less on the interests of the greater good. She’s much more into herself and accomplishing what she wants (or thinks she wants), whether it upsets others or not.

Water Dragon

The calmness and coolness of water pacifies the naturally aggressive dragon. This attribute will provide the dragon with clarity and balance making them good negotiators and diplomats. Unlike the fire dragon, water dragons are able to take time out to think and plan their next move wisely.

The secret to their success lays in their ability to be humorous when necessary, hardworking when necessary, and to bite their tongue when necessary. They are able to control their emotions and thoughts providing them the composure and stability the other dragons lack.

Passionate, opportunistic and progressive, they will not feel defeated even when they fall flat on the ground or if a door is slammed in their face. To them, it’s part of the growing process that everyone must go through—they are no different so there is nothing to be ashamed of!

They believe in a slow-and-steady approach, as opposed to the metal dragon who charges towards a goal. They are patient enough to know that good things come to those who wait. Don’t mistake their patience for inertness or passiveness. Just remember, who won the race: the rabbit or the tortoise?

The water element will also make him expansive, open and gentle with others. The water dragon enjoys company, cooperativeness and sharing.

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Important caveat: Chinese culture has a different structure than U.S. culture, so some of these characteristics (loyalty, industriousness, family, independence, competitiveness) don’t have the same timbre in that milieu that they do here. The translation of the concepts isn’t perfect, and some traits appear more positively or more negatively in that culture than they do in this one.